Recipe: Perfect Apple Pie

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Apricot Nutrition Facts

Baking powder can be used in place of yeast as leavening, to make a flour mixture rise.

Baking powders are composed of soda, an acid and a small amount of starch. There are three kinds of powders, according to the kind of acid used.

1st - Cream of Tartar 2nd - Phosphate 3rd - Alum

Use 1 teaspoon soda and 2 1/2 teaspoons of Cream of Tartar for 1 quart of flour.

Use 1 teaspoon soda to 1 pint of thick sour milk, sour cream, buttermilk, kefir, or yogurt.

Use 7/8 teaspoon soda to 1 cup molasses for batters.

Use 3/8 teaspoon soda to 1 cup molasses for stiff doughs.

Salt: 1 teaspoon salt to 1 quart of water in soups and sauces.

Pour batter: 1 cup liquid to 1 cup flour. This will make pancakes, crepes, waffles, etc.

Drop batter or sponge: 1 cup liquid to 2 cups flour. For muffins, thicker griddle cakes, waffles, cakes, quick breads, cupcakes, funnel cakes, fried doughnuts, dumplings, spaetzle, sweet yeast doughs, light airy cookies, etc.

Soft dough: 1 cup liquid to 3 cups flour. For fried dough, sweet yeast breads, rich white yeast breads, pretzels, drop cookies, pastry shells, pie crusts, etc.

Stiff dough: 1 cup liquid to 4 cups flour. For pizza, pasta dough, extruded doughs, noodles, pierogi, crusty artisan style breads, rolled cookies, etc.

Note: there are crossovers between each category for various products and these proportions are given for general estimation.

Salt: 1 teaspoon salt to 1 quart in soups; 1 teaspoon salt to 3-4 cups flour for doughs; 1 teaspoon salt to 2 cups water for cereals

The green leafy tips of the herb are used to flavor drinks, while the dried leaves can be used for tea. The entire plant (leaves and roots) can be distilled for use in perfumery. The dried plant is sometimes mixed in sachets to contribute a light lemon-like scent.

Both the beet root and the leafy green tops are edible. The tops are high in Calcium, Potassium, and Vitamin A. The beet root is high in Potassium and Boron.

Avoid selecting old, very large and woody beets since they cannot be tenderized and will always be tough. Their weight is not as heavy as beets which have been grown adequately watered and in light soil.

Allow about 2 1/2 lbs for 6 people.

To prepare beets, wash well and remove the leafy tops, leaving 2 inches of stem above the beet root. If the leaves are fresh and in good condition, they may be used as greens and prepared similarly to spinach.

Beets may be boiled, steamed, baked, or prepared using a pressure cooker. The length of cooking time varies according to the maturity of the beet. When they can be pierced with a fork and are tender, plunge them into cold water; then rub off the peel using a paper towel. Small beets can be served whole, while mature beets are usually thinly sliced.

Harvard Beets are a popular sweet and sour side dish.

A hearty Russian soup called Borscht is prepared with beets.

Beets Nutrition Facts

A sweetener such as sugar, molasses, honey, or corn syrup may be added to the salt and water solution for added flavor and to improve browning of the meat during cooking.

The salt has two effects on poultry, reports Dr. Alan Sams, a professor of poultry science at Texas A & M University. "It dissolves protein in muscle, and the salt and protein reduce moisture loss during cooking. This makes the meat juicer, more tender, and improves the flavor. The low levels of salt enhance the other natural flavors of poultry."

To prepare a brine solution for poultry, add ¾ cup salt to 1 gallon of water, or 3 tablespoons of salt per quart of water. To make a brine use ordinary table salt, Kosher salt or canning salt (sodium chloride).

Use food-grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers to hold the brining solution. Poultry should be totally submerged in solution and store under refrigeration (below 40°F. For best results, refrigerate at least overnight. Poultry may be left in the refrigerator up to 2 days after thawed or purchased fresh. Remove poultry from brine. Discard brine after use. If stuffing poultry, brine the poultry first. Cook immediately after stuffing.

Most ovens have the ability to see what is happening by looking through a glass door. This is preferred over opening the oven to check, as the drop in temperature caused by opening the oven door can cause a cake to fall, or at the least, make the cake dry because it will require more cooking time due to the fact that the oven had to reach baking temperature again.

As the cake bakes, it changes its appearance; the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan slightly, and the top domes. If the center of the cake is still lighter in color than the rest, there is still more baking time required. When the center is the same color as the rest of the cake, it's time to use the cake tester method to do a final check. If the cake tester when inserted in the center of the cake, then removed, emerges uncoated with cake batter (clean), then the cake is done. If there are large clumps of batter, then the cake requires more baking. Some cakes, such as cheesecakes and some fruit cakes, will always have a slight residue on the cake tester.

When pressed lightly in the center, the cake will be slightly springy, if done.

You can use either raw pack or hot pack. You'll get 1 quart canned from about 2 1/4 pounds peas (still in their shells).

While you're filling the jars, bring the water in the pressure cooker to a simmer (not boil) and put the empty jars in to heat.

Raw pack: Wash peas before shelling. Shell, and wash a second time. Fill jars with raw peas loosely, without packing. Cover with boiling water. Then finish as below.

Hot pack: Cover peas with water in a large pan. Boil for 3 minutes. Fill jars with peas then fill jar with liquid from boiling. Then finish as below.

Hot or Cold Pack: Leave one inch of headspace. Add 1/2 tsp salt for a pint jar or 1 tsp salt to a quart jar. Remove air bubbles with a plastic knife or bubble wand. Wipe rim of jar with a damp paper towel. Adjust lids. Place cover on pressure cooker and allow to vent for 10 minutes before closing petcock or adding weight. Don't begin counting time until pressure is achieved (ie, weight will rock/jiggle or gauge indicates 10 lbs pressure. Process pints for 40 minutes, quarts 50 minutes at 10 lbs pressure.

Please note: adding the salt is optional. Don't forget to adjust for your altitude.

Line a funnel with a piece of muslin or clean cotton cloth, and line the cloth with a clean paper coffee filter. Let the juice pass through two or three times until it is clear. This will require a little patience. Put it into small jelly jars or bottles and seal.

Put away for 12 days. This will make around 3 quarts of curacao. Curacao imparts an agreeable flavor to cream and to punch, and is an excellent liquor.

Take 1 gallon of ripe elderberries and 1 quart of damson plums or sloes for every 2 gallons of wine to be made.

Boil the elderberries in about half the quantity of water until they burst, breaking them frequently with a stick. Strain the liquor, and return it to the pan.

To produce 18 gallons of wine, 20 gallons of this liquor are required, and for whatever quantity the liquor falls short of this, water must be added to make it up. Boil this, along with 56 pounds of coarse, moist sugar, for half an hour, and it is to be fermented in the usual manner when sufficiently cooled, and then it is to be put into the cask.

Put new into a muslin bag a pound and a half of ginger, bruised, a pound of allspice, 2 ounces of cinnamon, and 4 05 6 ounces of hops; suspend the bag with the spice in the cask by a string, not long enough to let it touch the bottom; let the liquor work in the cask for a fortnight, and fill up in the usual way. The wine will be fit to tap in two months, and is not improved by keeping like many other wines. Elderberries alone may be used.

An entrée is usually highly seasoned, and although it may be rich, it is rarely a hearty meal unto itself.

Examples of the kinds of foods often used as entrées are creamed or sauced dishes baked in patty shells or served on toast, croquettes, cutlets, or fritters, soufflés, mousses, pasties (such as vol-au-vent), casseroles, jellied aspics, fillets or other garde manger intended to whet the appetite rather than satisfy it.

An alternative method is to follow the same steps as above, but continue to cook the butter over low heat, continuing the skim the foam from the surface periodically until foam no longer forms and the butter appears clear (this means the water has evaporated) then strain the butter through cheesecloth into a separate container.

1 1/2 pounds raw butter will yield approximately 1 pound clarified butter.

Then measure the butter, and if it is too hard to work well, let it stand in a warm place until it has become softened, but not melted. If there is not time for this, warm the bowl by pouring hot water into it, letting it stand a few minutes, then emptying and wiping it dry. Do not let it get too warm, however, or the butter will become oily instead of creamy.

If fruit is to be used, wash and dry it the day before. Dust with flour just before using, and mix by hand until each piece is powdered, so that all will mix evenly with the dough instead of sinking to the bottom.

Be sure to have all the ingredients ready before beginning to mix. Put the butter into the bowl; work it until soft and creamy, and gradually add the sugar, beating constantly. Next add the eggs, or the yolks, whichever the recipe specified, and then the liquid. Work in the flour, a little at a time; or, if desired, add small quantities of flour and liquid alternately until the entire amount of each has been used.

This is helpful in preparing worts (used in brewing beer) which have a calculated quantity of sugar content.

To calculate alcoholic content by means of specific gravity, subtract the final specific gravity of a brew, from the first specific gravity measurement obtained at the start. Multiple this figure by 105 to obtain per of alcohol by weight.

For example: 1.040 -1.0108 equals 0.030, so 0.030 x 105 equals 3.15%.

Irish moss can be used to add a spicy flavor similar to bay leaf to soups and casseroles, while also acting as a thickening agent.

Lautering: The process of straining spent hops and grains (already fermented) from wort.

Common forms of pasta are spaghetti, linguine, egg noodles, lasagna, cannelloni, ravioli, gnocchi, vermicelli, pierogi, ditalini, angel hair, tagliatelle, tortellini, macaroni, penne, and ziti, but this list merely scratches the surface.

Pasta, a good source of protein and B vitamins, is a complex carbohydrate, and provides long sustaining energy.

Pasta can be served sauced (most commonly a tomato sauce), or tossed simply with butter, olive oil or cheese and then seasoned lightly before serving. It can add substance to soups or stirred into casseroles or prop up a meat dish in the same manner as a bed or rice.

Pasta should only be boiled in salted water until al dente (firm to the tooth); and never overcooked. Bring 1 gallon of water to a rolling boil for 1 pound of pasta. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water, then return to a boil. Add pasta, submerging completely in the water. Stir occasionally. If desired, 1 tablespoon of olive oil can be added to the cooking water. Taste the pasta after 4-5 minutes (for dry pasta) or 2 minutes, if the pasta is freshly made. Fresh home-made pasta (as opposed to store bought dried pasta) cooks in only a few minutes, so watch carefully.

Any leftover pasta can be tossed with olive oil and stored in a plastic bag under refrigeration.

In the home, pasta was traditionally prepared on a dough board (or tavolini board) and rolled out using a rolling pin. For this method, a small mountain of flour is placed directly on the board and a well is dug out in the center into which the eggs and water are poured, then worked into a paste by a skilled hand.

Today, pasta can be quickly prepared in a food processor or using a pasta machine. Both die extrusion and roller machines are available for the home market.

A general noodle recipe, which can be varied endlessly, calls for 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk per cup of flour, adding sufficient water to make a dry paste, and optionally 1 tablespoon of good olive oil to add richness and cause the pasta to be more manageable.

Recipe: Egg Noodles with Green Noodles Variation

The higher gluten content of patent flour makes it particularly suitable for combining with other flours such as rye or whole wheat while still maintaining sufficient gluten (the elastic component of bread dough which traps air) for good structure and rise.

Straight grade flour contains 100% of the flour which has been separated out from the wheat berries or kernels; patent flour is the innermost 70-80% portion of the separation. Clear flour is the remainder which is left when the patent flour has been separated out from the straight grade and is considered to be of second quality for baking purposes and normally is combined with other flours (such as rye for bread making).

To prepare, remove the roots and peel off the outer layer of skin. Cut off the uppermost green portion and discard (or save for stock), leaving only about 5 to 6 inches of the green top.

Wash well and chill.

Scallions are often used as garnish, and they will curl if lengthwise slices are dropped into ice water. To make curls, trim scallions so that only 1-2 inches of green portion remains above the white. Use a sharp knife or scissors and run it along the side of the scallion while bending around the sharp edge of the knife with your thumb, as you would "curl" a ribbon. Drop into ice water and leave for 20 minutes or until curling takes place. To be used as a garnish.

Recipe: Scallion Pancakes

choose fresh, crisp pods; store unwashed in a plastic bag under refrigeration, but use quickly. To prepare, wash and break off the stems, pulling away the string along the side (if any).

Stir-fry or boil quickly, for no more than two to three minutes, only until crisp-tender.

In baking, the normal ratio for using baking powder is 1/2 teaspoon to 1 cup of an acidic liquid, but if no such liquid is used, the same formula may be used if balanced by an acidic dry ingredient such as cocoa, buttermilk powder, or cream of tartar (tartaric acid).

Acidic liquid can be of the following: molasses, yogurt, sour cream, sour milk or buttermilk, acidulated water (1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup water), kefir or other acidic liquids such as some fruit juices.

If the balancing acidity of ingredients in your recipe is in doubt (for example, if sweet milk is to be substituted for buttermilk), then use baking powder instead of baking soda in the ratio of 2 tablespoons baking powder for every 1/2 teaspoon soda. Or, a combination of the two may be used.

Soda can be sifted with the flour in a recipe, or can be first dissolved in warm water (1 tablespoon water to 1 teaspoon). Add the dissolved solution immediately to pre-mixed ingredients in order to avoid loss of leavening power.

When baking soda is combined with cream of tartar, a single-acting baking powder is created which is capable of leavening quick breads when supplied with moisture and the heat of the oven activates the release of carbon dioxide.

To make a single-acting baking powder at home, combine 1/3 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar as a substitute for 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

There are two species of star anise commonly available: Chinese Star Anise (Illicium verum) and Japanese Star Anise (Illicium anisatum) which is extremely toxic. The two cannot be distinguished from each other, especially in dried or processed form. Chinese anise is often adulterated with Japanese anise, which is cheaper. When purchasing star anise, study the labelling (even on bulk foods there are labels which list the herbs' botanical name) and be certain that Illicium verum is used.

Melted paraffin poured on top of jellies, jams, etc., also on the top of canned fruit, when the covers are discolored, will be all the covering necessary, except the cloth or paper to exclude dust. One can use the paraffin many times.

Jelly, to turn out nicely, should have the mould dipped in hot water for a second.

All are prepared by removing the brown skin using a sharp knife and boiling for about 15 minutes. They may alternately be peeled after boiling. After they have been cooked, cover with cold water and refrigerate until use.

They are usually thinly sliced before adding to stir-fries.